The present invention generally relates to a calendar and, more specifically, to a calendar with a cover member that supports a date element on a flat surface for display and wraps around the calendar for protection, together with a magnetic element supported by the cover member and that holds metallic pieces such as paper clips for a user to keep the surrounding surface organized.
There are a great number of calendar displays. These displays are typically made with cardboard and a plurality of calendar leaves attached by staples or stitches, or placed in pockets on a display mount. The display may be provided with some means for supporting the display. It has also been common to combine a calendar display and paper clip dispenser together to form a desk appliance to hold paper clips.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,415 discloses a desk appliance that serves both as a paper clip dispenser and as a perpetual calendar. The desk appliance incorporates a magnetic paper clip dispenser having a cylindrical lateral wall and an annular magnet at the top for holding paper clips. The bottom of the container has an integral cylindrical extension. The extension is a mask or frame that exposes a perpetual calendar. However, the desk appliance is constructed with various types of materials and numerous pieces, making the manufacturing process complicated and time consuming. Since it is a cylindrical container, there is also no flat surface to provide a user with the ability to write notes on the calendar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,056 is a note booklet with a foldable cover. The foldable cover has a first plane section, a second plane section, a third plane section, and a flap. The foldable cover is folded away from the note booklet to form a sheet and penholder, the third plane section is placed flat on the supporting surface, and the second plane section is formed at ninety degrees to the third plane section. For calendar displays on a desk or flat surface, it is usually preferred to have the calendar set in a slanted position for easy viewing against light reflection. Yet, the foldable cover for the note booklet in this patent does not evidently provide a slanted position for the note booklet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,118 discloses a display mount desk calendar. The desk calendar has four connected rectangular panels with the first and second panels of the same size, the third panel is of a shorter length than the first and second panels, and the fourth panel is of a shorter length than the third panel. The calendar is formed with the third panel placed on a flat surface while the first panel is propped on the third panel, or while the first and second panels are folded to lie across the edge of the fourth panel. The desk calendar provides a ready reference for phone numbers, address or other useful information. However, without a cover, the desk calendar does not provide protection against damage.
As can be seen, there is a need for a calendar that incorporates the different functions listed above from the prior art but that is simple in design and manufacturing.
In one aspect of the present invention, a boxed and self-supportive calendar comprises a date element, a cover member that supports the date element, and a magnetic element supported by the cover element such that the magnetic element holds metallic pieces for a user. The calendar has a first configuration wherein the cover member wraps around the date element such that the date element is boxed, and the calendar also has a second configuration wherein the cover member forms a triangle to support the date element in a slanted position.
In another aspect of the present invention, a boxed and self-supportive calendar that can be viewed by a user while the calendar is on a support surface comprises a date element having a top side, a bottom side, a rear side, and a front side; a cover member that supports the date element, with the cover member having a first segment, a second segment, a third segment, and a fourth segment, the segments being oriented to one another about a plurality of fold lines; and a magnetic element supported by the cover element. The calendar has a boxed configuration wherein the cover member wraps around the date element such that the date element is boxed about the top side, bottom side, rear side and front side; and the calendar has a self-supportive configuration wherein at least three of the segments form a triangle to support the date element at an angle to the support surface.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.